Chaos and Hope
by The Analyzer
Summary: Takeru was not going to be like him. Not at all.


Title: Chaos and Hope

Series: Adventure 02

Rating: PG

Constructive Criticism: Yes! Please!

Summary: Takeru was not going to be like him. Not at all.

* * *

Screams and sounds of terror erupted amid the many burning white buildings that made up the city. Strange aerial creatures swept across the area, destroying and deleting everything in sight and echoes of battle echoed in nearly every point in the streets. The only thing left undamaged was the palace at the center of the city and watching from the palace at a good viewpoint was the boy who oversaw the destruction.

His electric blue eyes swept the area, reflecting seriousness and pride for the situation. He smiled. At last, his peaceful goal will soon be obtained!

Someone called his name. Turning, he discovered one of _them_ rushing towards his presence and pause a good distance away to catch their breath. The intruder then gave a glare.

"You," the inferior one growled, "you...why are you doing this? Why are you committing such terrible atrocities? Why are you destroying the peace _you_ yourself had worked hard to create for all these long years?"

The fool, he didn't understand, he didn't understand at all, the boy thought, facing the objector. His goals...his ideals...everyone's dream...the things that will make everything peaceful...they were for the betterment of all...and yet this lowly creature dared to stand in his way. Well maybe an explanation of his irrefutable views will make him see the light.

He took a flawless step forward. The other took a hurried step back. There was a long stare down.

Then the boy smiled. "Because...chaos is caused by the unique and independent. The unique and independent is darkness." his eyes fluttered. "Ever since I brought peace to the Digital World, my goal for paradise has always been delayed by those who had minds of their own, whose ideals clashed with my own. Differences cause strife, differences cause chaos. It is darkness. I hate the darkness." he brought his hands out and began forming his attack. "Darkness causes chaos, it disrupts the peaceful monotony, there's destruction, pain, suffering, death. Independence is the darkness. Darkness is the independence. Those who think differently destroy the peace and happiness, they destroy it!" his eyes flashed angrily and his charging attack received another burst of power. "They are darkness. I loath it! Those who do not think like the majority never contribute positively to my ideals of paradise. They're evil. Evil I am against. I am changing this problem. I am changing this world for the betterment of all."

His attack was charged and ready to smite the lowly independent being...the chaos...the darkness...

The eyes suddenly burned angrier than before. "_Those who don't conform to my good ideals shall face destruction, for their independent thoughts attempt to eliminate my hope for everlasting paradise_!"

There was an explosion, a scream and the dark one...the evil thing...he was forever gone! There was an echoing delighted laugh as everything went black...

* * *

There was a startled breath and blue eyes snapped open. Takeru felt his heart hammer as he abruptly became aware of his surroundings, that he wasn't in some roman-like city burning to the ground, but in his own peaceful room where nothing bad was happening. At his side, Patamon slept unaware of Takeru's sudden revival. He sat up and gazed around, letting what he dreamed sink into his conscience. Then, after a pause, he got out of bed.

_Who was that? _Takeru thought, pacing around his room. As he racked his brain, he was only able to remember a pair of electric blue eyes and a smile that Takeru doubted belonged to any sane person. But wait, didn't someone call the boy's name? Takeru didn't hear it and searched his memory more, but all else he could come up with was the boy's speech, a mention of the Digital World, and something like an attack...

Wait, the Digital World was mentioned? And the boy was using some attack? He must be a Digimon, Takeru concluded and what he saw could have been an event of the Digital World's past.

But if such an widespread even had occurred, wouldn't he have heard of it? Takeru admitted, he and his fellow Chosen weren't very informed with the events of the Digital World's history, but if his dream hinted that this was something that effected everyone, then why was there no passing mention of it? He tucked away the thought to tell Koushiro or Tailmon (or both) about this dream and ask if any incident like this had actually happened.

And then there the boy's speech. He held back a shudder. The speech sounded a bit too similar to what Takeru felt about chaos and darkness for his liking.

Feeling a sudden desire to turn away, he swiveled around and found himself facing the mirror. Reflected back, a blue-eyed preteen with blond hair and decked in green pajamas stared back, looking confused and apprehensive.

Takeru shook his hand and took a few calming breaths. He shouldn't get worked up over this. If it was true and this Digimon was a part of history, then he was already long gone from this world and the Digital one and wasn't likely to come back. After all, the previous villains they had fought hadn't came back, with the exception of Vamdemon who simply possessed Oikawa and hadn't been reborn from a Digitama like Patamon and Wormmon had...

Takeru jumped. His reflection had suddenly become distorted. It swirled around and eventually disappeared and then was replaced by...by...

Takeru paled. An angelic boy, who was pale from his gray skin, to his garments, and to his blue eyes and blonde hair, looked up at him with a serene smile. His arms folded, he stared at Takeru with a look of understanding and comfort. Takeru, however, glared and took a step back.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"

The boy said nothing, but continued staring up at him with that smile that didn't seem sane and those electric blue eyes...

Takeru froze. Those eyes. That smile. It was the boy from his dreams! The one who thought he could achieve paradise by eliminating independent thought.

Then he realized the form the boy takes. He regained the strength in his eyes and glared angrily. The prejudices he had against darkness and chaos and what it create began bade a flame in him. How dare this person cause such atrocities while wearing the form of an angel, a symbol of light and hope and claim his acts of chaos and darkness were in the name of light, hope, and piece!

_We can change that, Takeru..._

He reeled back and his hands clamped his forehead, as though a drill had penetrated it. He raised his eyes and stared at the angelic boy. Were those his thoughts?

_We can change everything. We can make this world better..._

Takeru gasped and clamped his forehead harder.

Then more thoughts came to him. Words like "purifying" "peace" and "paradise" assaulted his mind and his vision was clouded by images of flawless white buildings, long white roads, perfect shops, perfect items, one single culture, one single currency, one unified happy populace, no individual different, while Takeru and the boy looked down upon it, the rulers of this peaceful world that looked happy and wonderful, but was really horrible, disgusting, hideous, terrible, bad, and wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong...

Takeru pulled back and turned away, clutching his head painfully. Gasping, he turned to gaze at the boy who was smiling at him as though he was handing him a tempting treat. Takeru's eyes hardened and turned into a fierce, almost desperate glare.

"No..." he panted. "No!"

Takeru whipped around and quickly stamped to his bed, throwing himself under the covers and daring not to look back. He could still feel the angel's eyes on his back.

He panted, eyes gleaming. How dare he...how dare he tempted Takeru to do the horrible things that _he_ had committed just for a dream! Level cities...destroy lives...tear families apart...and for what? To make this unachievable paradise where everyone had no right to have a mind of their own and be like the crowd or perish! How disgusting!

"Takeru."

He started and looked around. His eyes fell on Patamon who was looking up at him with concerned eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Patamon asked.

"Uh...oh nothing, nothing's wrong Patamon!" Takeru assured, attempting to well up a comforting smile. "Just had a nightmare! You can go to sleep."

He chanced a glance at the mirror. The boy was gone. Takeru sighed in relief.

Patamon was still watching him worriedly. "Who you were saying no to?"

Takeru froze, but recovered instantly, "No one. It was just a dream. Nothing need to worry about. Just go back to sleep."

"But you were out of bed."

Well now he was backed into a corner. Takeru cast his eyes around for an excuse but couldn't find one.

"Um...would you think that I would go insane someday?" Takeru said finally. "Would you think I will sometime in the future lose it and destroy everything imperfect in order to create paradise?"

"Of course not!" Patamon objected, looking shocked. "Why would you think you would do something like that?"

"Nothing," Takeru said uncertainly, "It's just that...I hate the darkness so much. Even though I know it will exist forever, I want it gone, destroyed. Do you think I will do anything to make that possible?"

"No," Patamon shook his head, "Your not that kind of person, Takeru. You would only destroy only to protect and nothing else. "

"But what if I was thinking I was protecting while I was destroying everyone else's lives? " Takeru said desperately.

"Takeru," his partner tilted his head worriedly, "what's wrong."

Takeru hesitated, but with his partner staring at him so concernedly, he gave in.

"Would you believe..." and for reasons unknown event to him, he put his hand near his hand and whispered. "That an angel tried to tempt me to cause destruction in order to create paradise."

"Of course," Patamon said at once, "Why wouldn't I? We faced weirder things."

Takeru gave an relieved smile. "True."

"But don't give into his temptations. I wouldn't want you to do any horrible stuff to make the world perfect and the others wouldn't either. Besides," he added, smiling slightly, "Paradise sounds kinda boring. I like things the way they are, despite the bad things we went through."

Takeru laughed and gently grabbed his partner to cradle him in his arms. "Your right. It would be boring." he smiled. "Thanks Patamon. I needed that."

"It's okay." said Patamon, regaining his cheery composure. "That's what partners are for."

Takeru slowly settled into his bed, becoming more cheerful himself. "You know, I'm starting to get why this partner thing is good for us. We give you the energy to fight and help you with strategies in battle and you become are protectors and friends. And sometimes, our mental councilors. "

They shared a chuckle.

"I'm glad I'm your partner, Takeru." Patamon smiled.

"Me too." Takeru agreed. "And nothing's going to change that."

As they settled down for the night, Takeru glanced at the mirror. Void of any angels as it was, he still glared at it defiantly. Whatever happens, he would never do the things that the boy had done. He would never pursue to create a paradise. As he slipped into listless rest, one thought passed through Takeru's mind.

_Whoever you are I'm never going to be like you. Ever._

* * *

Lucemon gazed shrewdly at the sleeping pair.

_Well, that was a failure,_ he mused, observing Takeru closely, _I didn't consider the boy's strong defiance of darkness and chaos to be so firm that he would turn away from the temptation of getting rid of them. Or the Digimon to have any effect on the boy._ he turned his focus on Patamon. _These partner Digimon could become a nuisance. They seem to hold quite a great influence over their human masters. The humans also seem to trust them enough that they would spill their innermost insecurities to them whenever doubt weighs their soul. This could make my goal for resurrection difficult. Hmm..._

Suddenly, Lucemon sensed something encouraging. Turning around, he summoned another image and found himself gazing into the dark room of a young girl, who slept under the covers in an attitude of utter exhaustion. Lucemon's eyes narrowed and he proceeded to begin extracting information about this world and the child's situation.

Lucemon slowly smiled as everything came together. _On the other hand... a partner Digimon's involvement could work in my favor. It appears this girl suffered a loss. Well, more than one loss, but this loss is very recent as opposed to a decade ago. It seems to have affected her a lot. _his smile widened. _I've should have went for the weak and vulnerable instead those who have an intense hatred for darkness. They are easier to manipulate and bend to my will. Those who lost hope always are._

He summoned another image and scowled at it. The image showed an assembly of five boys and one girl enjoying the sunny afternoon at a park. He waved again and the image changed to a pair of Digimon - one wearing a pink belt, the other red pants - working loyally for a trio of large angels.

_You think you have gotton rid of me, Legendary Warriors,_ he hissed mentally, _You think that the simple act of destroying my physical body would stop me from pursuing my goal for eternal paradise. Well, you're wrong. You'll see. You'll see the errors of those who dare challenge my ideals. I will be back. You will pay._

Lucemon made the image vanish with a flourish. Upon returning to the image of the girl, he noticed a tear slid down her cheek. He smiled.

_Don't worry Chika Daimon_ he thought soothingly, _Everything'll be okay._


End file.
